A Quezon City official on Thursday proposed to penalize hospital owners refusing confinement to unaccompanied patients or impound vehicles bringing in unidentified victims of criminality, accident, calamity and other ailments.

The proposal was made because of the growing number of complaints accusing rogue hospital management of forcibly withholding the vehicles or ambulances used to bring in ailing persons found lying on the road before confining them.

Despite the humanitarian acts of concerned individuals, some hospitals refuse to admit unknown patients agreeing only to admit them, if accompanied by relatives or groups that brought in the patient to ensure that the hospital bills are settled in full.

Councilor Jimmy Borres of the city’s third district said that out of compassion, the hospital owners should first apply first aid to the victim and allow confinement when necessary without conditions.

Holding the public hostage and putting lives at risk, Borres said, are contrary to the medical code of ethics doctors should practice in treating patients in dire need of their attention.

“For compassion and dedication to public service and as dictated by moral and social obligations, hospitals should provide the best medical attention to all individuals equally without any inhibition,’’ Borres noted.

He added the act of hospital owners of setting unreasonable conditions before admitting unknown victims is against the doctor’s professional creed and duty to value and save lives.

Borres noted that directors of hospitals refusing to admit unaccompanied patients or impounding ambulances or vehicles bringing in unidentified sick persons found lying on the street is a violation of the proposed measure.